Hala Khalil

Nawara

Egypt
Producer: Hala Khalil
Production Company: Nazra Film Production

Project Logline:

Nawara spends a couple of days in Osama Bey's villa where she's been working as a maid for his family for years. That and right after they have run away overseas for fear of being arrested since they were patrons of the old regime, Nawara begins to feel sad because of the family's departure, in addition to her utter loneliness that is only interrupted by the presence of 'Butch' – a watching dog as well as her night talks with the gard. Mustafa, who got engaged to Nawara five years ago and who, throughout those years, couldn't find an apartment for the both of them to live as a truly married couple, goes to Nawara and gets in the villa, then tries to make love with her, but she refuses to sheet the family and firmly asks him to leave. After a few days, Osama's father along with his brother come looking for him so as to protect him from the threats of the village's people who accuse them of corruption and of being advantage-profiteers. Nawara, at first, denies Osama and his family's flying abroad but then, after slapping and hitting her, she confesses. As Osama's father and brother leave, Nawara comes to know what she's been denying despite herself that Osama hasn't been a good person as she thought.

Nawara decides to meet with Mustafa at the villa that both spend a bridal night in all luxury. After a few days, the police come so as to extradite the villa as it has been issued by the Attorney General that Osama would be under arrest and curfew, and all his possessing would be reserved. Nawara leaves the villa and also gives the money she took from Osama in return for keeping an eye over the villa to the police and departs.

Hala Khalil is an Egyptian director, script writer and producer. She obtained her degree in film directing from the film academy in Cairo 1992. She made movies, short films, documentaries and TV series. Her first award winning short film THE KITE (1997) participated in many festivals, winning international acclaim, after which she made her first feature film The Best of Times in 2004. She wrote and directed her second film Cut and Paste in 2006. Both of these films were critically acclaimed and participated in numerous international film festivals and won several awards.